


reached for the gun

by noctizanagi



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arcana Swap (Persona), Human! Morgana, Protaganist! Akechi Goro, Shiba Inu! Ryuji
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 09:03:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13163679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noctizanagi/pseuds/noctizanagi
Summary: Akechi Goro wakes up on a train with fuzzy memories and a hazy nightmare of a memory set that's already fading away.Without support and without a voice in society, can he find out what's really going on here?[a swapped arcana au where goro akechi is the protaganist and something isn't quite right about this world.]





	1. Chapter 1

Goro’s vision was hazy, as if he had woken up from a nightmare that had been all too real. He remembered those, vaguely, and wondered if they happened frequently. The brunet knew his memory hadn’t ever been very good, but it seemed at an all-time low as he looked around the train.   
  
“Now stopping : Shibuya.” The monotone lady’s voice washed over him a bit later than it did for the rest of the passengers. Goro lifted his bag onto his shoulders and exited as the doors began to close, looking around for any sign pointing him in the right direction. ‘Yongen-Jaya’ was written on his hand - how helpful, he thought.    
  
Since he couldn’t physically ask anybody nearby for directions, Goro slipped on headphones to calm down a small bit and began searching the signs, looking for one ‘Yongen-Jaya’. Violin music tuned out the bustle and hustle of the streets as he wandered, slightly lost and only slightly annoyed. If his memory could he trusted at this point, he was looking for a ‘Tae Takemi’.    
  
He boarded another train, sighing quietly as it rocked back and forth. Yes, Goro remembered the terrible freak accidents that were happening all around Japan; it wasn’t much of his concern back in Inaba, considering its notable lack of a subway system. Admittedly, the boy had no idea what he was doing, but he was going somewhere and that was a start.   
  
“Now reaching : Yongen-Jaya.” Goro noted it was the same voice from earlier, and guessed it was probably a pre-recorded message that played every time. It could get annoying if he had to ride these trains a lot - which, with the pure size of the city - seemed likely enough. He mocked the voice silently as he stepped off, taking in the less busy walkway.    
  
Yongen-Jaya was a residential district, and it showed, some small shops lining a wall, facing a few apartment buildings. The streets were more or less alleyways and the general area was cramped and stuffy. Goro had a thought that maybe he would eventually be at home here, but it seemed like a far cry at the moment. ‘Tae Takemi’.   
  
The brunet looked for a while, but eventually ended up in front of a herbal café. ‘Leblanc’, the sign read, and it sounded vaguely familiar to him. He opened the door hesitantly, listening as the bell chimed and a blue-haired woman turned around to greet him. She frowned slightly, before changing her expression quickly.    
  
“You must be Akechi,” She mumbled, a small grin taking over her expression. “I’m Takemi Tae. Nice to see you again, pipsqueak.”    
  
Goro’s mouth moved into an ‘o’ expression, his eyes gleaming a bit. So he had found the place he was supposed to find. He gave Takemi a small wave, but some confusion must of shown on his face.    
  
“The last time I saw you, you must have been younger than two. Kimiko took good care of you, huh?” Takemi wondered, the name ‘Kimiko’ bringing a sad grin to Goro’s face. “Nevermind that. You’re here now, so I have a new guinea pig. Delinquent-san.”    
  
Goro scowled now, the distaste showing. He didn’t mean to push that guy, but his cousin was being threatened. The politician shouldn’t have succeeded in pressing charges. His expression told Takemi everything she needed to know.    
  
“Don’t worry, Akechi. Although I don’t have space for you at my home, so you’ll have to stay in the shop. I’ll probably have you learning how to make my herbal remedies before long.”    
  
Takemi led the other upstairs to a messy attic space, covered in dust and sheets and discarded old furniture. In the corner was a clean, white futon with two pillows and a small pile of blankets. Goro looked around the room with a slight gape, shooting a side glance at Takemi. Her sheepish yet smug expression let him know she didn’t care for cleaning much.   
  
Goro sighed, then dropped his stuff into a corner that was semi-unoccupied. I, he thought, have a lot of work to do.    
  
-

 

His normal outfit was a casual blue jacket, a grey shirt and jeans - yet Goro still knotted his tie onto the collar of his shirt. It was habit he developed from seeing his mom do it with a bow-tie everyday, and he didn’t have many memories of her anymore. The smell of herbs and some sort of egg wafted up from downstairs, and he padded down to see where it was coming from. “Hurry up and eat, kid, before we have to leave for school registration. I have to close the shop for today too. Such a pain you are.” 

 

Takemi was obviously teasing, but Goro couldn’t help but flinch when she said that last sentence. He still managed a smile when he saw the food on the counter, rosemary sprinkled on eggs.  _ Thanks _ , he signed, and Takemi just let out a light sigh. “I can’t understand JSL, kid, but I’ll try my best to talk to you.” He nods in appreciation before sliding into his seat, chomping down on his first bite within a minute.

 

The time seems to pass by in a blink, and he can’t find the will to care about the days ahead of them even as Takemi leads him out of the cafe. His brown shoes scuff against the concrete, making a quiet noise that rings through his ears louder than it should. Goro runs a hand through his softer locks, mentally comparing it to Takemi’s to keep himself occupied. He didn’t particularly care for registering at a new school thanks to - 

 

_ The man was advancing towards the sixteen-year-old, her brown hair bouncing in fear as she backed up. “Hey. Stay away from me, you’re scaring me!” She felt her back slam against the wall as her heartbeat quickened, the man in front of drunk off his ass.  _

 

_ “Come here, little girl, get in the car, we’ll have some fun,” he slurred, stumbling forward. The teen side-stepped, yelping as the man reached out and clutched her arm. “Stop struggling!”  _

 

_ “Hey! Stop that!” Goro saw himself, a month younger, voice hoarse from disuse but his eyes hardened in anger. “Get away from Nanako-chan!” His hands moved on their own, ripping the man’s arm away - _

 

_ “Damn brat, I’ll sue!”  _

 

_ Being thrown into a car- _

 

_ -disowned, abandoned- _

 

_ -crying, the train-  _

 

_ -nako, na-  _

 

“Goro! C’mon.” An unreadable expression was on the woman’s face, and it was only then that Goro realized he had been clutching her arm with almost an enraged look on his face. He inhaled, pulling away as quick as he came with alarm in his eyes. That was an episode he would have to avoid when he finally attended whatever shitty school he was going to. 

 

The car ride there was silent, tense, and unsettling.

 

-

 

The principal was not a handsome man. 

 

It wasn’t that Goro was expecting a nice-looking man to be the one that accepted his criminal record, but goddamn, the brunet couldn’t help but cringe at the man’s egghead. The man next to him wasn’t so hot either; even if he was a teacher, the eyes and general appearance looked like something straight out of the online mafia game - shady, rough, and, well, fearsome. No wonder they assigned the supposed ‘problem child’ to him.

 

“So, as long as you do your work and don’t cause any, and I mean any, trouble.” The principal sprung out into a lecture, and both Takemi and Goro stared into the window dejectedly. Halfway through, the shop owner slammed a hand down on the desk in a very  _ non-threatening _ way. The principal and the teacher both flinched at the sound, although Goro noted the teacher was considerably less shaken up.

 

Takemi cleared her throat, raising an eyebrow as if already challenging the other adults. “I am the guardian of Goro, and I believe I know how to lecture him on not getting into trouble. However, I need you two to inform me who his teacher is and what he is to do tomorrow.” 

 

The time it took after that was considerably short.

 

He lay awake when night fell upon the sky, eyes wide open as he stared into the dusty rafters. Somehow, he felt like he would float away if he closed his eyes, clutching onto blankets as if they were his lifeline. There was a dreamlike quality to the world around his mind, like he didn’t quite belong where he was. 

 

A moment of silence passed, and if anyone was watching they would’ve seen Goro’s back arch in a seizure-like movement before he fell to the bed, fast asleep. The boy jolted back into consciousness in an unfamiliar room, lying down on cold stone and wearing torn clothes that weren’t his. He sat up with a low groan, rubbing his forehead as it pulsed with his heartbeat. Two short, child-like people stood behind the metal bars encasing him, and behind them was an odd-looking old man. 

 

“Welcome to the Velvet Room,” the man said, deep voice echoing through the walls and bouncing straight into Goro’s mind. 

 

-   
  
The rain beat down on the sidewalk to its own little song, the water soaking anyone unlucky enough to be caught in its wrath. Goro found himself running as he bolted towards the nearest overhang, lacking an umbrella as his school uniform did absolutely  _ nothing  _ to keep the chills off his back. His feet splashed as he skidded underneath, nearly collapsing in relief when his shoulders were free from the cold assault.

 

The brunet’s phone almost slipped out of his fingers when he got it out of his pocket, the screen damp with clear drops of the water from above. He would’ve cursed, but his hands weren’t free and his mind was getting a little off-track. An app was hovering over the the trashcan, one Goro thought he deleted the night before.  _ Nav, huh?  _ He returned it to its place on the home screen, deciding to leave it there for now. Not like it would affect anything if he waited a few hours to get rid of it.

 

_ “This is a representation of your psyche. You signed a contract to be here.”  _

 

_ “Pay attention, inmate!”  _

 

_ Jumbled words, scrambled in his brain-  _

 

_ “The next time you come here, it will be of your own free will, Akechi.” _

 

Splashes sounded next to him, and before he knew it, a boy with midnight-blue hair slid into place beside him. He didn’t seem to notice Goro quite yet, so the brunet took his time to examine the other. Drops glistened at the ends of blue strands, and pale brown shades reflected the water below. There was an indescribable sadness in his expression, pulling at his eyebrows and mouth. It didn’t occur to Goro that he was staring until the boy turned and his face went red. 

 

_ Sorry,  _ Goro signed quickly, backing up to the very edge of the awning with a tint to his face. He leaned back against the window as the other smiled a bit, shaking his head. “It’s fine.” They could barely get those words out before their voice caught in their throat, a beige car pulling up to the sidewalk and the window rolling down. An older man wearing a coach’s outfit and a whistle leaned towards the open hole, a smile on his face that had Goro on guard. It reminded him of -

 

_ “I am Igor, master of the Velvet Room.” _

 

It was shady, Goro decided, but the blue-net got in the car anyway. The window rolled up and they pulled away; Goro’s shoulders sagged in relief at the fact that the old man hadn’t asked him if he wanted a ride. He had a crawling feeling that he wouldn’t want to be in that car, ever. The angry noirette who came running after it also didn’t seem to be a good sign, but the brunet waved anyway. “That damn Kamoshida! Always thinking that he’s the king of his own castle! As if. The school’s hell with him- but seriously, Mishima needs to get out of there before he gets hurt… Oh. Who’re you, brownie?” 

 

Goro shrugged, eyes showing interest but not quite enough caring to sign something out. The noirette slapped a hand across his face in an unharsh manner, grabbing his wrist and beginning to lead him down through an alley. “You’re obviously lost, and the rain’s lightening up. C’mon - ah, shit!” The other let go and doubled over, clutching his head tightly. Goro’s head began pulsing in sync to his now-racing heartbeat, pupils dilating to pinpricks with the sudden pain. His phone went unnoticed in his pocket, the strange app now open and vibrating.  _ Codewords identified. Travelling. _

 

Through the pain, the students stumbled to the end of the alleyway and stared up at a castle, bearing the sign of the school. “This… this ain’t Shujin!?”

 

-

 

The second-year woke up to dripping water and a cold slab on which he was lying. The noirette across from him perked up, getting to his feet with cat-like twitching that ran through his arms. Goro figured he probably had ADD or something similar from the way he behaved, but then again he had to remind himself not to read too deeply into others. He knew this boy like he knew his cousins - which was to say, not at all.

 

“Morgana, figure out something… hey brownie, can you help?” The other turned most of his attention onto Goro, blue eyes searching his face as if he was looking for answers in people who had no idea what was going on. Oh wait - 

 

_ The guards slammed their shields against Morgana’s chest, and then Goro’s head, the background of laughter deep and disturbing adding to the flashes in his vision. The edges going black as he was thrown over someone’s shoulder, coughing up something red - maybe blood. Yeah, blood. He went black with the last thing in his sights being the other boy struggling against the grip of two guards. _

 

Goro nodded, getting to his feet with a soft thud and walking over to the wall. He ran his fingers along it, frowning as he examined the bloodstains tainting the well-made cell. There was absolutely no way they were escaping this place. It wasn’t like they’d get a chance to soon, anyway, he noted as he listened to the heavy echoes of footsteps outside. “Shit…” Apparently ‘Morgana’ had noticed too.

 

“So, what do we have here? A thief and a - oh, it’s the cat again.” Kamoshida stood in front of the jail cell, in a ridiculous outfit that didn’t match the authoritative move of his hand to open the cell’s door. A soldier opened it, and the teacher stepped in, a smirk resting on his lips. “I can’t believe your nerve. I kick you down once, and you still don’t comply? The punishment for that, hm, death.”

 

Morgana backed up as soldiers crowded the cell, grabbing him by the arms without mercy. Goro reached out for him, mouth opening and closing in a silent protest. “Let me go, you jerks! Let me go!” Kamoshida chuckled, his tone sinister and low as the guards pinned Morgana against the wall. Goro was surrounded, the living armor ignoring him for now - it seemed Kamoshida didn’t care about him much for the moment. 

 

The teacher (?) ran a light hand along the noirette’s jaw, smirking with his oh-so-smug eyes. “Oh, Mona, the traitor of the team. I hope you do realize that your death has been coming for a long, long time. And the cat’s dragged a mouse along with him, too. How does it feel? Knowing yet again that you’re doomed to fail?”

 

“Stop it! Let- let go of him!” Goro coughed, doubling over as he clutched his throat. It hurt to speak after so much time, and his mind screamed at him almost as much as the pain did. The guards did take interest in him now, grabbing one arm each and loosening their focus on Morgana. Kamoshida turned, intrigue and something else hidden in his expression.

 

“Who do we have here? Well, doesn’t matter. Anyone who breaks into my castle deserves death. We’ll execute this peasant after the cat!”

 

Goro didn’t want to die - no, he didn’t want either of them to die, and he didn’t want to suffer under the injustice he had faced so many times. He refused to let this happen, to be too weak to save Morgana like he was almost too weak to save that woman. Morgana probably had a reason to live, a reason to be here, and he couldn’t just stand by and watch that sword inch closer to the pale skin of the throat -

 

_ Why aren’t you struggling? _

 

The brunette’s head shot up, eyes wide, pupils dilated. He glanced around for the source of the voice as if he was panicking, but it was the calmest he had felt in weeks. The strangest sort of peace washed over his mind, bringing a crooked smile to his face. 

 

_ Are you just going to stand still and see him die? What happened to your willpower, your justice? He’ll die if you simply sit there, like a duck. Was your choice to call out a mistake, Akechi? _

 

“...no,” Goro rasped, shaking his head. The guards tightened their grip on him, making disapproving grunting noises that were unsettling even for empty suits of armor. 

 

_ Very well. I have chosen to respect your resolve. Vow to me, boy. I am thou, thou art I… Thou who art willing to do all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon my name, and release thy rage! Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself! _

 

Goro let out a shrill screech, before allowing his head to drop, limp, still, waiting for something to happen. Kamoshida’s footsteps echoed in the cell, towards him, but his response was a low chuckle that sounded almost insane. He felt the mask materialize on his face, whispered the word as he reached up despite the guards holding him back -

 

“Per...son...a-”

 

And ripped it off, blood spraying forward as Goro flung his head up. The blood settled as it slid down his skin, the boy patiently waiting with his light smirk for the fire around his feet to encompass him completely. Some part of him should’ve been concerned, as Kamoshida pointed and yelled, as Morgana scrambled back in the panick, but he just felt sick satisfaction. “Come to my aid, Robin Hood!” He shouted into the light, fire licking up and around him in a complete sphere.

 

The creature behind him appeared as the flames died down, handing Goro a bow as he admired his new look for a bit. The calm was still taking him over, controlling him, and so he shot an arrow and watched it explode into fierce light that knocked the guards and Kamoshida back. Goro laughed, waving goodbye to Kamoshida as he ran without any guards to protect him, before wrapping light around him and dragging him back. 

 

Goro could feel the power draining from him with every movement, but he still stalked forward, offering a hand to Morgana as Kamoshida trembled in fear. The other boy took it, lifting himself to his feet and hesitating.  _ Find the keys.  _ A deep voice echoed; Morgana nodded and skidded out the cell door. With that, the last of what power he had controlled seeped back into the air.

 

And just like that, he collapsed to his knees.


	2. Chapter 2

 

_ “-a new life-” _ __   
  


_ “-redemption-” _

 

_ “-do you accept our-” _

 

_ “-Goro-” _

 

_ “-Goro-” _

 

“-Goro!” Morgana’s worried voice came from above the brunet, a hand nudging him firmly. Goro stared up at him in confusion, the voices that were echoing through his head just seconds ago already vanishing from his memory. He didn’t want to ask - his throat still hurt and he still didn’t want to speak - but the confusion from the use of his name must have shown. “That… weird creature thing said your name. I had to drag you out of there so I could lock Kamoshida in, now we’ve gotta run!” 

 

Goro barely had time to nod in affirmation before Morgana yanked him up with the force of a toddler on steroids. “C’mon!” They jumped across a broken bridge with the yellings of an angry Kamoshida behind them, Morgana flipping him the bird in a rather aggressive manner. Goro could hear the noirette’s angry murmurings behind him, even as they crawled through a hole in a cell’s walls. The pair sprinted across a wooden drawbridge, hiding in wooden boxes as guards ran across the other side.

 

“They’re looking for us…” Morgana trailed off, pausing with an annoyed expression, before he picked himself back up again. “C’mon, let’s run. I can’t wait to get out of this hellhole.” Goro nodded in agreement, picking up the pace as they climbed stairs and ran past a screaming man. The brunet could hear Morgana gag behind him, his boyish voice not needing to speak up about this. A raised drawbridge sat at the end of the hall.

 

Goro examined it, not seeing anything but an un-lowerable drawbridge and a dead end. He turned back to Morgana, who seemed just as lost, and they searched around. “Hey! You two idiots! Yeah, effin’ you guys!” A rough voice barked from a cell.

 

“Over ‘ere. Goddamn it, just come over here!” Morgana and Goro followed the source, finding an annoyed-looking (? How even?) Shiba Inu with a red neckerchief like a collar resting on his fur. “Alright. You all are idiots, let me help you get out of this goddamn place before you get yourselves killed.”

 

Morgana inhaled, sharp and quick, backing away while Goro grinned at the creature in front of them and nodded. He could still feel the remnants of the ‘Calm’ he had felt earlier, and that emotion was telling him that whatever this thing was, it was to be trusted. “What- what the hell are you?”

 

“I’m Ryuji. Now let me out of this shitty-ass cage before the guards find you!” The Inu - ‘Ryuji’ - demanded, glaring straight at Morgana while maintaining a neutral attitude towards Goro, somehow. Goro leaned down towards the lock, frowning a bit as he examined it. Taking a single bobby pin out of his shirt’s pocket, he began picking the lock.

 

The shit you learn when you used to be a detective, huh?

 

_ Akechi stood in front of a metal door, brown gloves covering his fingers. It’s another scene from his nightmares, and as he opens the door the first thing he sees - _

 

“Yo, thanks!” The Shiba Inu butted the door the rest of the way open, alerting Goro to the fact that he indeed managed to unlock it. “Alright, idiots. A lesson in this castle. That effin’ statue, pull on its jaw. I would test you guys but like hell we have time for that.” Ryuji jumped and batted a paw, pulling down the jaw of the statue to where it fully unhinged.

 

The drawbridge fell with a bang, and the dog-creature-thing flashed a cocky grin at Goro and Morgana. “Pretty boy, get us the eff out of here. I’d lead, but catboy over there seems a bit scared of me.” Goro nodded, striding forward and ducking behind a set of wooden boxes. The guards ahead blocked the way, and even with keen brown eyes, the brunet couldn’t see a way around them. 

 

“Leave this to me,” Ryuji growled, jumping out in front and taking a steel knife out of his neckerchief. “Captain Kidd!” He gritted through the object, baring his canines as a Persona whirled to life behind him. It was magnificent, startling Morgana again with the pure size of it. “Zio!” The guards in front of them skidded to a stop, melting into red and black before two odd-looking creatures emerged from the goop. They immediately got hit by crackling electricity, screeching in a pitch that was almost inhumane. 

 

Morgana covered his ears, frowning at the noise. Goro ruffled the other boy’s hair in a comforting manner, watching as Ryuji, furious, fought the enemy. “C’mon, you two, I cleared the way!” 

 

-

 

The team skidded to a stop in front of a vent, Ryuji jumping to the top of the bookshelf and gesturing to the opening. “Don’t be shy, idiots. Drag yourselves back sometime, and help me out here. I want this guy’s Palace gone.” Goro nodded, while Morgana growled but followed his motion. The noirette hadn’t said much, seeming to be a bit nervous around the Shiba Inu. The brunet ushered the other boy in, before giving Ryuji a light smile.  _ I’ll see you later,  _ Goro signed, hoping that maybe the creature would understand.

 

Ryuji offered a wolfish grin, before running his tongue over his canines. “Hope that other dude learns sign language, man. I’ll see you.” Goro let out a huff of both surprise and relief, before he climbed into the vent, squeezing himself through the cold metal. 

 

Morgana was waiting on the other side, mouth in a thin line. “That dog-thing gives me the creeps, brownie. What’s… your name, anyway?” Goro sighed a bit, offering a small piece of paper for the other to take. Morgana took it, opening the folds and scanning the lead on the paper. “Goro, huh? Selectively mute, hm… Sorry, Goro, I don’t really know JSL.”

 

Goro shrugged, taking out his phone and clicking on the strange app - which, he noted, showed up again. “Exit Metaverse?” A metallic voice rasped, feminine yet still deep. The brunet nodded, and the air around them flickered once before they were back in that alley. The pair walked out towards the school, the clock in front tipping the 12; class already started a while ago.

 

“Shit, we better get inside before somebody catches us, man.” Morgana began sprinting for the school, Goro following at a calmer pace that still appeared rushed. Internally he was panicking at the idea of the school calling Takemi, already coming up with excuses for why he was late to school. He couldn’t afford to mess up his stay so quickly, regardless of what they found. “I’ll see you later, Goro!” 

 

With a light sigh, the former detective climbed the stairs up to the front doors, grabbing the handle with a silky glove. The faculty office is close by and rather obvious, the brunet easily picking his way over and entering. A rough man is sitting in the chair with a pissed off expression, intimidating the other with his pure looks alone. “Oh, kid. Finally, damn. It’s past lunch and I’ve been waiting; I’d prefer you not live up to your reputation.” 

 

Goro couldn’t get a sign in before the teacher - Iwai, was it? - grabbed him by the forearm and dragged him up the stairs. He was promptly shoved through the door and in front of the class, Iwai behind him before the older man walked in front of the class. “This is our transfer student, Goro Akechi. He’s mute. Now, you see that boy? Blue-hair? That’s Mishima. You’ll be sitting behind him. Go.” He was shoved, yet again, forward, stumbling a bit as he made his way over to his seat. Goro’s ears picked up on all the gossip already, tongue flicking over his lips in a nervous manner. This wasn’t a friendly school.

 

What did he expect? He did have a criminal record, after all.

 

-

 

Iwai grabbed Goro by the wrist as he was leaving class, bringing him out into the hallway with a stern look in his eyes. “I heard from a fellow teacher that you came into school with Morgana. He’s a transfer student too, and he’s pretty well-known from the track incident. I need you to -” 

 

“Yo! Goro, c’mere!” Morgana called from the other side of the hallway, waving one of his arms up in the air, his yellow bandana waving in the motion along with him. Goro turned, giving Iwai a small smirk before striding over to his newfound… acquaintance? Not quite - after all, they had gone through what seemed equivalent to hell together. Friend. That was a good word to use, Goro supposed. “Alright, so we should head to the roof! The teachers never go up there, and nobody else does… So we’ll be safe! We, uh, really need to talk about what we saw, Goro.”

 

The brunet nodded in agreement, glancing back to check on Iwai. The man was nowhere to be seen, and Goro figured that he had teacher things to do, or something similar. It didn’t matter for now, he supposed, as Morgana was already leading him by the wrist up the stairs mumbling about how the roof was cluttered and that there was some garden or something. 

 

“So! That wasn’t some dream, right? We were really in some sort of castle.” Morgana ran a hand through his hair, loosening it up from sweat and stress. Goro nodded, leaning back against the desk behind him. “I want to check that out later, if you’ll come with me. Maybe tomorrow, after I get some sleep. Maybe… maybe I’ll avoid that dog-thing, too.” 

 

Goro tapped on the desk, four times in total, attracting Morgana’s attention before he slung his backpack into his lap. The zipper fell and his whiteboard was at the top of his bag, sticking out like a jammed finger on a healthy hand.  _ Ryuji. And I’ll go with you. _

 

“Really! Thanks, brownie- I mean Goro.” Morgana flashed him a quick grin (Goro was starting to see the appeal in nicknaming him ‘cat’, honestly) and got to his feet. “I’ll see you later! I have to get home. Can’t keep my cat waiting, you know?” 

 

Goro waved as the boy rushed down the stairs, tripping a bit and leg near giving out. The roof was warm, and the only noise came from the city below. It was so far from the reality they stumbled into he almost had to laugh.

 

-

 

Takemi greeted Goro with a cup of mint tea and a loose frown. The brunette remembered how late he was to school and flinched, eyes now finding the disapproval in her expression. “Goro, you were late today. Missed lunch, right?” 

 

_ I got lost,  _ Goro began, but Takemi waved his signing off with a shake of her head. “Don’t do it again, Goro, but it’s fine. I made the tea for you, and if I hadn’t I would’ve been really angry.” Goro nodded, slow and apologetic, before reaching out to pull the cup closer to him. It had the distinct scent of mint, as its namesake implied, but there was also honey there.

 

Neat.

 

There was a beat of silence as he took his seat, fiddling with the handle of the cup.  _ I spoke earlier, didn’t I? ‘Persona’... I hope Ryuji’s doing okay.  _ Goro mused over the issue with a few more sips of tea, Takemi bustling around the kitchen as more customers took their seat. He eventually stood, flitting up to his room to finish cleaning it up.

 

It was an attic, and like most attics it was a complete mess. The brunet acknowledged the fact that yes, he had picked it up enough to live in it - but it was nowhere near an okay room for him to spend a year in.

 

Goro pulled on his gloves and rubbed his hands together.  _ Let’s get this started. _

 

-

 

“Goro! Ro-ro! Brownie!” 

 

Headphones slipped from ears to hang around Goro’s neck, brown eyes searching for the owner of the familiar voice. Morgana had climbed on top of a bench and was waving frantically, trying to grab his attention. He gave a small wave back. The crowd of students was thick and fast; Goro pushed his way through with some trouble, climbing onto the bench next to Morgana and nudging him softly. 

 

“Oh! Goro, hey! I was thinking if we loop around where we came to school from, we might find a point of entrance. It’s worth a shot, right?” Goro nodded along to Morgana’s words and the noirette grinned, taking his wrist and leading ( _ dragging _ ) him to the alley they had first exited. 

 

They passed through the narrow halls, sky displaying grey clouds and a chance of rain. Morgana peered out into the school courtyard and huffed, the school looking as average as it ever did. “Are you kidding me? I swore we went this way.” 

 

Goro tapped the noirette’s shoulder. He turned, blue eyes blinking as if asking a question. With one brown glove Goro pointed to his phone, a red and black app flickering on the screen. Morgana nodded.

 

“Metaverse Navigation - Kamoshida. Castle. Pervert. School. Navigation complete.”

 

Brown eyes looked into blue, and a silent verse of agreement passed between them - and a single finger tapped the ‘navigate’ button.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a] i'm SO sorry about the late update guys, but i've had some things going on (plus a new anime to watch, lmao)
> 
> b] okay but vote : should we keep carmen or a new persona? it's not for ann takamaki - its for mishima. help.
> 
> c] goro's metaverse outfit is like the prince of crows one from tumblr?   
> -feathered cloak, black crow mask, fancy  
> i can't find the original link but once i do, i'll give it to you guys for a visual

**Author's Note:**

> a) goro is mute - not from genetics, but from stress. he fell into mutism again after the incident pre-canon, something that hadn't happened since his mother died.  
> he can speak, but when he does, it's barely heard and hoarse thanks to disuse.  
> b) once the story really gets going i might compile a list of the arcanas, but right now it's pretty evident.  
> c) we're not going to go into every event, but i will include important ones and teambonding moments. there's also going to be several shorter sections in each chapter when there's a palace, so be ready.


End file.
